Norwegian Air to offer direct Europe to US flights for £45
The flights will use US airports which see little to no international service
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.You might be able to fly from Europe to the US for less than the cost of your monthly commute soon.
Norwegian Air hopes to offer one-way tickets from Europe to the US for $69 (£45) as early as 2017.
The airline's CEO, Bjørn Kjos, said it would be made possible by flying from US airports with low fees, such as New York's Winchester County Airport and Connecticut's Bradley International Airport, because they have little to no international service.
Norwegian Air, which is Europe's third-largest budget airline, is considering scheduling flights to Edinburgh and Bergen, Norway.
Average prices on such routes are likely to be closer to $300 (£196) for a round trip, Business Insider reported.
To cope with the proposal, Mr Kjos's company has ordered 100 Boeing 737 MAX jets, with the first five expected to arrive in 2017.
The planes are equipped to cruise over the Atlantic but are smaller than most jets which currently make the journey, making them a better size for smaller airports such as Birmingham.
Regulators will have to set up customs stations at US regional airports to handle international traffic, although Mr Kjos said he is confident this can be arranged.
The airline said that while no decisions have been made on which UK airports to include, its existing operations at Gatwick, Manchester, Edinburgh and Birmingham would "naturally be the first destinations to consider operating from," according to The Telegraph.
The proposal is part of Norwegian Air's plans to cut prices and take a larger share from traditional airlines that dominate trans-Atlantic flights.
Norwegian Air isn't the only airline to market cheap flights across the Atlantic. Iceland's Wow Air recently offered one-way fares between Boston and Paris for $99 (£65).
Additional reporting by Reuters
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments